I am a big fan of Tim (akaTom in the book) Spector and so I invested in citizen science and contributed a stool sample 18 months ago for analysis for the British Gut Project.

I now have a profile and list that I bearly understand but would love to discuss my results more.

Anyone else in the same position or know any good resources to help me?
Tara

I remember thinking about doing this but was laid up at the time after an accident, then forgot about it. Do you have a link to the project, assuming it’s still on-going? Thanks.

This sounds interesting. Do you have any further info/links?

Thanks.

I’ve also got the kit to do the test and then I got a bad cold and didn’t do it – I may do it and send it off.
I read Tim Spector book the Diet Myth it’s very enlightening. I also read an article in my google searches that the only approach that Tim Spector advocates is a Mediterranean diet with intermittent fasting. I’ll post the link if anyone is interested in it

It’s : http://britishgut.org
I won a lottery scratch card hence I submitted a sample. It’s not cheap!

Yes I signed up for this 2 days ago. Not quite sure when exactly they will post the test kit. How long does it normally take?

I think it was 2-3 weeks, Steve.

Ok thanks. I’d rather have it sooner but there you go. It’s not a bad price. You then have to wait 8 weeks for results. So 10 in total.

I’ll be fascinated to know what my gut flora is made up of though. I know something is wrong. I’m assuming too much candida but I don’t know for certain.

I think I must have candida too, I’m guessing this based on my symptoms- athletes foot that comes every summer and is hard to shift, fungal infections, eczema like patches on my skin, flakey scalp, itchy skin, bouts of lethargy, ibs and food intolerances. My siblings also have similar problems.
Let’s hope by doing this programme it sorts us out. I’m feeling it’s an insurmountable task at the moment – I can hardly believe that I can turn myself around as I’ve had it for so long and put up with it for so long it’s become the status quo

Yeah I have all those symptoms too – plus a couple of dodgy infected nails that won’t clear up.

Since being on fermented foods though I feel better in myself. Less brain fog and more awake. But my body feels kind of hot all the time. It’s very strange.

I’m hoping that it means something is going on in my gut! And it’s gonna sort itself out.

I’m also doing 5:2 which I’ve not really done properly until last week. That reply helps. The day after a fast day, my skin feels less inflamed and my stomach is less bloated.

Funnily enough I feel less hungry now than I did. The fermented foods seem to do that. It’s like my body no longer wants carbs. Also funnily enough, I’m no longer craving coffee. 1 cup a day, but actually that’s more habit than craving.

I do think Dr Mosely is right when he says gut flora might control what we eat. Because they crave it for it their own survival and tell our brain that we are hungry.

It’s like something out of Star Trek really. Symbiosis !!

For you guys with fungal problems have you tried :

a) drinking diluted cloudy apple cider vinegar
b) teatree oil (topically on nails – don’t drink it!)
c) oil pulling – if you have a yeast overgrowth the one place to spot it is your tongue. If it’s furry, cloudy yellow, or claggy try swishing coconut oil for 10 to 20 minutes per day – spitting out the contents; and avoiding listerine which kills all the good and bad oral bacteria!

Google will give you the low down on how to do this stuff.

Hi Tara, I had mine analysed through the British Gut Project and am still researching my results. The Gut Club http://thegutclub.org has some forums and a facebook page that can help. This page is also useful:
https://www.vitamodularis.org/articles/how_to_interpret_your_microbiome_data.shtml. I’m not a doctor so can’t verify that the info on these sites is correct but they are a useful starting point.
Hopefully as more research and information is available, there will be more useful guides to help with analysis. At the moment it seems to be mostly scientific papers that are not easy to read for a non-scientist!

I think that’s my Sunday night sorted! Loads to look at here – thank you so much CJ20!

Very helpful cj20 – I’ve saved that website for when I eventually get my results from British Gut. I understand it might take 8 weeks.

Hi Steve,
It does say it takes a couple of months or so to get the results from British Gut but mine was only a month. I’m not sure if I was lucky or if the process has speeded up!

Thanks cj20

I’ve yet to receive the kit, I ordered early last week. Was keen to get in early as I thought the promotion from this book might increase demand!

It’s a little difficult to track as according to the site, I’ve given a donation (which provides the perk of a test), rather than actually buying a test.

If I don’t get the kit within the next few days, I’ll give them a call.

Steve

Hi Steve, I gave the donation too and I’ve just had a look how long it took for me. I paid on 25 Feb and the pack was postmarked 8th March, so I’d give it a week or so yet.

Yes I expected to have to wait. It’s fine. The only slight annoyance is that I’m already now taking more probiotics and fermented foods, the results might show normal. Oh well, we will see!!

I just got my results back yesterday, although it took a bit longer than two months (more like three). I don’t really understand what they say, although when I did the test I was doing the 5:2 diet (mostly 2 days per week) and I generally try to eat healthily but my results have come back completely different from most of the samples they compare it to – I have tons of Akkermansia (good I think) but some others that are not so good, and one rare one which I can only find mentioned in relation to the middle ear!?

If anyone should like to e-mail , I might be able to help you more easily.
kindest regards
g.wanless2014@btinternet.com

Amazing, thanks GrahamSPhillips – will drop you an email 🙂

Hi Graham, Gordon,
My results came back with 79% proteobacteria – 41% of which is acinetobacter. This seems really high and the only info I can find about acinetobacter is in relation to serious lung and skin infections, not how it affects the gut. Do you know any more about it or any articles I can read that may be helpful?

My results came back, but I’m a little bit disappointed as, although you get a lot of detail, there’s minimal context as to what it all means. They give you a percentage of each thing found, but I don’t really know whether that’s good or bad.

I feel a bit as though I’ve paid to help the British Gut project to do research, as opposed to providing me any usable and errrr….digestible (pun intended) information.

I assume we need to find some kind of expert who can interpret our results?

SteveMaggs: that is exactly what you have done.

From the BGP website front page it “is an open source crowd funded project … Participants are asked to make a contribution to the project … Although this gives a ‘snapshot’ of your microbes, it DOES NOT provide any interpretation for you at a personal level.” [their emphasis]

SteveMaggs: Map My Gut seems to be the official interpretation service.

And/ or read the books/ blog authored by the founders of the American Gut Project (Prof. Tim Spector, Dr. Jeff Leach, Prof. Rob Knight).

Hi Steve

You are correct- the British Gut was never intended to provide a detailed report or interpretation. However I am one of a number of specifically qualified practitioners who can help with both interpretation and lifestyle advice. Feel free to contact me direct if interested graham.phillips@manorpharmacygroup.co.uk

Thanks Graham. I’ve dropped you an email.